Washboard.



No. 726,680- PATENTED APR. '28, 1903'.

Q C. HARDWIGK.

WASHBOABD.

OATHERINEIIARDWIOK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HARDWICK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

,WASHBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,680, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed July 22, 1902. Serial No. 116,548. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CATHERINE HARDWIOK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Washboard, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of my invention is to so construct a washboard that it may be adapted to any form of tub and lie therein in such manner as not to' materially interfere with the clothes to be washed and so that the board may be operated upon in the most convenient manner and be strongly braced.

The invention consists inthe novel construction and combinationof the severalparts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to .the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a washtub and a longitudinal sectionthrough the improved washboard in position in the tub. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of a tub and a sectional plan view of the board in position in the tub, and Figs. 3,4, 5, and 6 illustrate various waysin which the legs of the washboard can be constructed.

The washboard consists of the side pieces 10, in which the longitudinal edges of a rubhing-surface 11 are introduced and secured, which rubbing-surface is shown as consisting of corrugated metal; but other material may be employed, if desiredyand the head portion of the board is. formed by the addition to the side pieces of suitable cross-bars and a connecting-board to form the usual soaptray 12. The legs 13, which form. the main feature of the invention, extend downwardly and outwardly from the side pieces, curving to a greater or less extent or being carried downward toa greater or a lesser angle from the rubbing-surface 11, and under such construction of legs the bottom or hearing ends of the legs are below the plane of the under surface of the rubbing-surface 11.

the legs are curved, they are preferably given the decided curvature shown in Figs. 1, 3,

Whenv and 4; but the terminal edge of each leg is so formed that it will conveniently rest upon the bottom of the tub A in connection with which the board is to be used. The legs may be made of suitably-bent hard wood, compressed paper, metal, or any other material found desirable.

In order to strengthen the legs 13 and also the rubbing-surface 11, especially when the latter is made of light material, the lower edge of the rubbing-surface 11 is formed into a tube 14, extendingfrom side to side of the board, and a brace bar or rod 15 is passed through the said channel and is carried out through the side pieces 10 of the board and then downward at the outside of the legs 13 to the bottom portion of the legs, where the ends of the-said brace-rod 15 are carried through to the inner faces of the legs, as is shown at 16 in Fig. 1, and are clenched or otherwise secured at said faces in a manner not to injure the clothes. The brace-rod 15 is preferably made from a single piece of wire of suitable gage; but the legs may be otherwise braced. For example, as is shown in Fig. 4, plates 18 may be secured to the rear curved edges of the legs 13, or plates 17may be secured to the side faces of the said legs, as is shown in Fig. 3. If desired, the legs 13 may be given the compound curve shown in Fig. 5, under which formation the lower ends of the legs rest against the sides of the tub, and their rear surfaces at'the said lower ends rest upon the bottom. In this case the brace 15 (shown in Fig. 1) may be used, or the side brace 19 (shown in Fig. 5) may be employed; or instead of the legs being curved the legs 20, as shown in Fig. 6, may have tongue-andgroove connection with the side pieces 10 or be otherwise attached thereto and may be carried at a downward and forward inclination from the said side pieces instead of being curved. Any suitable brace may be used in connection with this latter form of legs.

In operation when a board is placed in a tub A the head portion of the board will rest upon the upper edge of the tub and the feet of the board will rest upon the bottom of the tub, with a bearing against the opposite side of the tub at the bottom.

In the drawings I have illustrated the rubhing-surface as supported about midway between its upper and lower ends by a bracebar 21; but such brace-bar is not absolutely necessary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A washboard comprising side pieces, a rubbing-board held between the side pieces, said side pieces being provided with integral extensions forlning legs which curve downwardly, a brace secured to the rubbing-board along its lower edge, extending through the side pieces and having its end portions bent downward and the terminals secured to the lower ends of the legs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CATHERINE HARDWIOK.

\Vitnesses:

MARTIN FLANIGAN, THOMAS DONNELLY. 

